Martial arts are a great way to get your regular exercise and learn practical skills along the way. Learning a martial art is a great way to pick up basic self-defense, but they can also help with learning other things, such as self-discipline.
Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and translates directly into Thai Boxing. This martial art is also known as the Art of 8 limbs’ since it makes use of all 8 points of contact (fists, feet, knees and elbows).
One of the great things about Muay Thai is you don’t need extensive experience with sparring to make use of the moves.
If you are wondering if you have the right body type for learning Muay Thai, then read on and find the best build for this sport.
Different Body Types In Martial Arts
Despite being made of the same limbs and organs, different people will have very different types of bodies. As such, we all have our own natural weaknesses and strengths, which may make us more suitable for some martial arts than others.
In this section, we will cover the three main body types including ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and Endomorphs.
Ectomorph
Ectomorphs have long, thin limbs and relatively low body mass. People with this body type may struggle to build muscle, but make no mistake, this is one of the best body types for martial arts.
Bruce Lee is one of many famous martial arts practitioners with an ectomorph body type. Although they can struggle with putting on weight for bodybuilding, this gives people with this body type incredible power to weight.
They also have great speed, which makes them incredibly suitable for Taekwondo, and other martial arts that require a lot of kicks.
Their low weight also makes them very agile and great for moves that require jumps or other forms of acrobatics.
Mesomorph
This is the body type between ecto- and endomorphs. Mesomorphs have their weight evenly distributed amongst their limbs, with a stable metabolism that isn’t extremely fast or very slow.
This is a good body type for athletic pursuits, but their short, stocky muscles can also be very useful for martial arts as well. With proper training, mesomorphs can develop strong, moderately sized muscles that are great for grappling.
Due to their higher mass, people with this body type also have slightly greater resilience and endurance. As such, they are better suited to sparring, as they are less likely to sustain serious injuries during training.
Endomorphs
This is the largest body type, with a curvy physique and softer mass. While ectomorphs will struggle to put on weight due to their high metabolism, endomorphs will often have the opposite problem. People with this body type will have to train hard to lose weight and tone their muscles.
However, once they have been trained, they can exert a lot of power over their opponents.
With regular training, endomorphs can put on muscle mass very quickly, which gives them a lot of power when it comes to martial arts.
That said, people with this body type will need to lose some weight before they can start training martial arts.
Many combat sports will be hard to learn if you have excessive belly fat, so you may want to start a jogging routine to lose weight before signing up.
With their larger weight can also come greater endurance, which means that some endomorph will be able to take more hits during sparring. They are also well suited to combat arts that involve a lot of grappling or groundwork.
What Is Muay Thai?
Muay Thai can be traced all the way back to the 16th century in Thailand, where it was practiced by soldiers during peacetime under the reign of King Naresuan.
As well as being a martial art regularly used in combat by soldiers, Muay Thai was also a spectator sport that was watched for entertainment.
It is also known as the Art of 8 limbs’ since it makes use of all 8 contact points the body can use for strikes, including fists, feet, elbows and knees. As such, Muay Thai is a very practical martial art, since it is very easy to apply the strikes you have learned in actual combat.
When used competitively, there are actual rules that Muay Thai combatants have to follow when sparring. These are similar to those found in western boxing, except any kind of strike is allowed with any part of the body.
Strikes will earn points if they hit the opponent without being blocked or guarded.
At the end of a match, the combatant with the most points will win. In the eventuality of a draw, the winner will be decided by whichever fighter has the most powerful punch.
What Body Type Is The Best One For Muay Thai?
It is worth remembering that anyone can learn Muay Thai, no matter what kind of body type they have. However, some people may need to put in more work than others to make the most of this martial art.
Generally speaking, people with a mesomorph body type are the most perfectly suited for Muay Thai. The reason for this is that the athletic build displayed by this body type is great for such an intensive combat sport.
If you are learning Muay Thai competitively, then you will need to have both power and endurance in equal measure, which is something that mesomorphs have.
Other body types will have to put in more work towards gaining or losing weight, so their strikes have enough power, and their bodies can take enough hits.
Conclusion
Muay Thai is a great martial art because it is equally effective when learned for self-defense or for competitive sport. However, because it has a long history as a spectator sport, sparring is a big part of Thai combat art.
As such, you will need the strength and endurance for battling other students and gaining the upper hand.
That said, anyone can learn Muay Thai, and even if you don’t have the perfect body type, that shouldn’t be enough to stop you from attempting this martial art.
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